Invader Zim Renegades: S01Ep03: Suspicious Minds
by RoxieDivine
Summary: Tensions begin to rise as the Tallest double their efforts to hunt the members of the resistance, and it begins to become evident that not all the new recruits can handle the pressure. Meanwhile after being the main victim of another one of Zim's violent rages Dib takes it upon himself to investigate in hopes to find the cause the Irken's bizarre behavior...
1. Previously on Invader Zim

**Previously on Invader Zim...**

 **THEN**

It has been six years since Invader Zim has come to the Earth, and Operation Impending Doom II is coming to a close. In a desperate attempt to conquer Earth one last time, Zim sets his sights on Gaz, Dib's sister, in the hopes of weakening the enemy with Gaz's fate dangling by a thread. It is a dangerous game that demands constant role-play, and Zim pumps up the risk-factor when he adds fake love into the mix. But when Zim falls for his own scheme, and the love becomes real, the Tallest finally find a way to get rid of him once and for all. The Irkens attack Earth in order to supply water to their last opposing forces in exchange for their surrender. They soon sentence Zim to death for his crimes against the collective. In a somewhat-failed attempt to save Zim for the sake of mankind, Zim and Dib manage to get away, but Gaz is left in the clutches of the enemy.

So in order to save Gaz and the planet alike, the two rivals have banned together, and with the help of some reluctant friends, they begin the fight to liberate the human race; a task that proves to be easier said than done. Tensions among the resistance soon rise when Zim starts acting bizarre, and attacks Mark in a violent rage. The cause of his behavior is cloaked in a mystery that only the Dome Computer, and surprisingly enough, Gir, know the answer to. After the near failure of their latest mission, the Renegades have set out to find more recruits in order to stand a chance against the enemy.

 **NOW**

The resistance has gained 20 new personnel, but will they prove their value and be a successful addition to the team? Or will all their efforts go up in flames…?

 **Season 1 Episode 3: Suspicious Minds**

 **Episode Summary:** Tensions begin to rise as the Tallest double their efforts to hunt the members of the resistance, and it begins to become evident that not all the new recruits can handle the pressure. Meanwhile, after falling victim to another one of Zim's violent rages, Dib takes it upon himself to investigate, in the hopes of finding the cause of the Irken's bizarre behavior. Will the Renegades manage pull themselves together? Or will this war be over before it can even began?

 **Author's Note:** This Episode is the sequel to Invader Zim: RenegadesSeason 1 Episode 2: Welcome to the Resistance. So if you have not already read it, please do so before continuing. And if you are new to this series entirely, please start reading at the beginning with my Fanfiction Novel Invader Zim: The beginning of the End.

 **Disclaimers:** I do not own Invader Zim!

 **P.S:** Thank you all for reading! Please review!

 **Yours Truly, RoxieDivine**


	2. Part 1

**Episode 3: Suspicious Minds (Part 1)**

 **(149 years ago)**

Cadet Zim took a deep breath and held it in as he and Cadet Skoodge dump out of a porthole and into a mechanical clearing between two levels. Cadet Skoodge breathed heavily; they had been running for some time now and the short chubby cadet was beginning to have second thoughts about coming here in the first place.

Cadet Zim on the other hand was overjoyed about the fact that he had managed to sneak out of that training room of a prison in the first place, and to think it took him 10 long years to decide to do it! _'I should have done this years ago!'_ He thought as the rush of their thrilling escaped coursed through his veins like a liquid fire! _'This is the most thrilling thing I've ever done!'_

"We're almost there Skoodge! Can't you feel it, you fool!?" Cadet Zim yelled with excitement. He had never felt so alive in all his life.

Cadet Skoodge on the other hand had never felt so afraid in his life, but he forced a smile and said "I do! I do! I am feeling it too-day!" he exclaimed just as happily as Cadet Zim had felt.

Suddenly the two froze as a security droid leaps into the room and stares them down.

"Quick, Skoodge, Name that machine." Cadet Zim demanded as he hid behind the fatter Irken defensively.

Cadet Skoodge thought for a moment, taking his time, as if the whole ordeal was some quiz that he had been given all day to finish "A dermis prowler security droid." He finally answered.

"Good." Cadet Zim praised his friend and smiled an evil smile he knew all he had to do was stay still and the droid wouldn't see him. As for Skoodge, well Cadet Zim had an ingenious plan for him! "And how do they function?" Cadet Zim continued to question his friend as he stayed hidden behind him.

"Detects motion, Homes in, Hurts a lot" Cadet Skoodge answers once more.

"Good work Skoodge!" Zim praises and the he picks the fat Cadet up and throws him down a corridor and the robot is instantly after him. Skoodge dodges the robot, causing the robot to slam into various pieces of machinery. Each lunge causes more and more damage causing several alarms to go off.

Cadet Zim ignores it and quickly ascends a ladder he was almost there. _'Just a little closer'_ he told himself as he pressed onward still.

"It's gonna catch me! It wants my brain!" Cadet Skoodge screamed from somewhere down below him.

Cadet Zim gives Cadet Skoodge the thumbs up, though he was not really looking down at him. The explosive damage resumes below Cadet Zim as the robot pursues Cadet Skoodge. "Excellent work, Skoodge!" he praised once more as he poked his head out of the surface side of the porthole.

"Freedom!" he gasped, as he took in the world of his race for the first time! Wow he never knew that Irk was so big, so bright, and so... noisy? "Hmm... A pitiful world, just waiting for me to make it great!" Cadet Zim's smile turns into a frown as a loud boom from below distracts him.

Skoodge blasts screaming out of the hole, still being chased by the robot; Cadet Zim shakes his head, smiling once more at freedom!

There is another series of booms and then the world is plunged into darkness, he had done it again. Cadet Zim had screwed up, and just like before one of the guard took the full blame.

He appeared in front of Cadet Zim and seemed to come out of nowhere. The Irken Guard took the young Cadet Zim into his arms and carried him back to the training room leaving Cadet Skoodge to walk… or rather limp behind them.

"If any one asked I forced you out here Sir." The guard told him with a shaky voice as they entered the training room. He sat Cadet Zim down beside Cadets Red and Purple who were busily eating their lunch.

"So how'd it go?" Cadet Purple was shocked to see the two had been carried back in by a guard as if north had happened.

Cadet Zim grinned wickedly as he remembered what the guard had said. "He snatched us up and took use against our own free will; Right Skoodge?"

Cadet Skoodge nodded his agreement as he takes his own seat beside Cadet Zim, but spoke not a word as they all continued their meal.

Cadet Red's eyes narrowed, it would appear getting rid of Zim was going to be harder than they thought.

 _'No matter,'_ he'd assured himself. It would appear that they would need to do better. Either way he would be successful after all it was instinct. He was stronger, he'd survive longer and he knew it.

Yes, he knew that he and Purple would make it, and Zim wouldn't. And nothing could change that.

They of course would try to beat Zim fairly, and if that didn't work they would beat him with their fist. Either way Zim would lose, after all he couldn't keep up much longer.

The Cadet would be gone in a month's time...

He couldn't have been so wrong!

* * *

 **(Present Day)**

He knew this was a bad idea the moment that he tried it...

And yet he did it any ways.

But in his defense at least for once he was obsessing over family and not an Alien, or some other paranormal thing for that matter. Dib Membrane locked himself into the bathroom and entered a number into his communicator and said a silent prayer. He didn't like the fact that he had to hide in the bathroom every time he wanted to make a classified call but it was the only private place in the house. And he didn't want any spy drone to pick up on his private calls especially this one.

"Dib what are you doing contacting me?" Tak's voice erupted from the communicator and even though it was but a whisper Dib could tell she was angry.

"I was hoping for a status update on Gaz" Dib knew he sounded desperate and why shouldn't he after all this was his sister they were talking about.

"I don't know" Tak's voice answered slowly.

"You don't know! What do you mean you don't know?!" Dib had to keep himself from yelling just in case a spy drone was somewhere in the house.

"Look all I know is she's somewhere in the Tallest Palace a place that mind you I have no business being in." Tak answered rather harshly.

"So how are you going to get to her?" Dib asked.

"I'll think of something, my first priority is to get on their good side. Perhaps then I can convince them to put her on my watch."

"Would they do that?" Dib asked hopefully.

"Usually the Tallest would not give the job to a cadet but since I am far older than most and have a bad history with Zim. They might see me as the perfect candidate."

Dib cursed under his breath as the sounds of loud sirens filled the air.

"Dib what are you doing contacting me on an unsecure line?!" Tak hissed.

"It is secure!" Dib cursed again as loud banging could be heard coming from the front door. "We make calls like this all the time." He assured her as he looked through the curtains of the bathroom window. His eyes widen as the sight of five guards met his line of sight, "Tak I have to go" he told her in a harsh whisper.

"Call me back the moment you get a free chance" Tak ordered venomously.

"Yeah sure" Dib answered half-heartedly. Was it his imagination or did Tak's voice just sounded as if she was concerned for his wellbeing?!

"I mean it worm if you don't call me in the next 24 hours I'm gonna think you've been found out ; and then I'm gonna bolt for my own safety got it!"

Dib couldn't help the smile that found its way to his face. Of course it was his imagination after all why would Tak care about him? And since when did he start imagining that she did? Did he want her to care about him? Did he care about her?

Dib didn't know where these questions were coming from but he knew all too well that he didn't have time to dwell on them now. He shook his head and forced himself to push the thoughts away into the back of his mind and whispered "Got it!" before hanging up and running to the safety of his room.

* * *

Zim's eyes snapped open as a loud pounding sound vibrated down his antennas.

"This is the Irken police open up now!"

Zim cursed and imminently jumped out of the bed only to fall to his knees as a hot flash of pain engulfed his spine. He forced himself to his feet and tried his best to ignore the pain; it was easier said than done. He had been meaning to address the problem, but with the heat of the Renegades latest mission still boiling over his head he found it impossible to get to the Dome and ask the Computer Brain to diagnose him. In all honesty he had been hoping that the problem would correct itself, but sadly it would appear that things where only getting worse. Zim gritted his teeth and turned on his disguise, if Dib had been there to see him he would probly scowl at him for taking it off in the first place; but the Irken could honestly careless. He ran out of his room and collided head first with Dib.

The two fell back on to the floor dazed.

"Why are you up" Zim or rather Joseph snapped harshly as he pushed the human off of him in discuss. His eyes widen as he caught sight of his communicator glowing. "Why do you have your voice caller on? Where you just making a call?!"

Dib gave a nervous laugh as he turned the voice caller off and flipped on his disguise.

"This is your last warning open this door now!"

Joseph gave the boy beside him his best "Your in big trouble" glare before running past him and ran down the stairs where he ran straight to the door and opened it at once; bowing respectfully. "Sir may I help you?" his voice was as respectful as possible considering the situation at hand. _'I swear if Dib's stupid midnight call is the reason why they're here then I will not hesitate to rip his throat out.'_ He thought bitterly.

"Yes we are here to do an expectation are you the head of the house?" The Irken soldier glared him down expectantly and for good reason, only the head of the house was supposed to address any Irken visitor that may find themselves at a human's home.

"Yes Sir" Joseph answered as he came to attention. "Our mother and Father are...no longer in the picture." he tried his best to appear sadden by this but the guard seemed to careless either way.

"Step aside filth" A second guard pushed past the first. "I don't have all night!" he snapped.

Joseph did his best not to growl at the guards shameless disrespect, sometimes he found it hard to stomach the treatment his fellow Irkens displayed towards him in his disguise; not that they treated him much better as himself either. The boy steps a side obediently and allows the soldiers to inspect the house.

A spy drone follows behind them scanning everything in sight.

"Sir may I ask what you are searching for?" Joseph asked respectively as he rubbed his temples. That annoying skull splitting migraine was coming back at full swing and he was finding it hard to ignore. _'Great out of all times you have to flare up know'_ he scowled at the migraine as if it would make a difference. Of course it doesn't, Joseph sighs silently to himself as his question goes completely unanswered. _'Why am I not surprised?'_

"Sir the scanning is complete" The spy drone stops to report to the second Irken officer.

Joseph can tell just by looking at the Irken that he is the commanding officer of this particular squad.

"Report findings" The Commanding Officer orders his eyes never leaving Joseph.

"There are none sir; the house is clean" The Spy Drone reported.

Of course Joseph was not surprised by this answer, after all the only suspicious thing in the house that would cause any alarm would be the secret door in the kitchen that lead to the cleft where a certain pair of robot doubles where being stored along with a caboose full of stolen food! Lucky the secret entrance was carefully shielded with a scanner scrambler of Zim's own design rendering it completely invisible to the Spy Drone.

"Very well it would appear you have nothing to hide" The Commanding Officer said as he eyed Joseph knowingly. "Or at least nothing we can find after all, all you humans are guilty of something. Isn't that right worm?" The Irken glared him down expectantly.

Luckily Joseph knew exactly what he was dealing with, the guard expected him to lash out at the obvious and blunt accusation he just made. Thus earning him the next 24 hours in confinement to endure a thousand or so interrogations; but sadly Joseph would be giving the jerk no such luck. "Yes sir" Joseph answered respectively. "After all everyone knows us humans are pathetic, filthy worms who don't deserve the space we take up!"

"Are you mocking me?" The Commanding Officer asked getting right up in the boy's face.

' _Yes'_ the boy told himself _'of course I'm mocking you I mean seriously even without my disguise I tower over you!_ ' Of course Joseph didn't say any of this in fact he wasn't even sure where the sudden pride for dominance even came from!

' _What the Hell is going on with me!'_ Joseph wanted to scream his furry into the heavens, but instead he forced himself to bow his head submissively and answered respectively "Of course not Sir. I may be a worm but I would never stoop so low as to treat someone as worthy as you in such away."

' _Worthy ha him?! What a joke the guy isn't even worthy to kiss your boot much less deserve the respect you're dishing out so willingly. What kind of Amon bows to a lowly Shew any ways where's your pride Worm!'_ Joseph flinched as a sharp stabbing pain sliced its way into his brain. He forced his inner demons to silence themselves as he followed the guards back to his front door; it wasn't easy.

' _What is going on with me?'_ the boy wasn't sure, he hadn't referred to himself as an Amon in years not since he stepped down and that was 145 years ago!

"Well aren't you going to open the door for us worm?" The Commanding Officer snaps pulling Joseph out of his thoughts.

Joseph silently cursed himself and opened the door and bowed respectively. "Thank you Sir it was an honor for me to have you in my home."

"I'm sure it was" The Commanding Officer chuckles as he and his squad head back for their vehicles.

Joseph watches them drive away, the Officer laughter echoed in his mind causing his temper to boil over. _'Who does he think he is?'_ The boy thought venomously. _'Laughing at me: that worm! I should rip his throat out that will teach him not to treat a superior like some common filth!'_

"Man that was a close on" Josh said as he appeared behind him giving out a loud sigh of relief. "And for a minute there I thought they had picked up on-"

"Who were talking to?"

Josh flinched and for good reason, his brother's voice may have sound as sweet as honey but he could already feel the deadly sting that was sure to follow.

"I said: WHO WERE TALKING TO?!"

Josh stumbles backwards as Joseph turns around to face him at what seems like lightning speed. The boy's eyes are blazing red and there is a look of pure rage on his face. Josh tried to back up only to find that he was already being slammed against the wall.

"Tell me now Worm!" Joseph's growl is almost animal like.

Josh shivers obviously scared out of his mind. "It was no one okay" he lied.

"You're Lying" Joseph snapped as he grabbed the teen by the collar of his shirt!

"No really I didn't have time to make the call okay! The sirens sounded off before I could, I swear." Josh knew he was lying through his teeth; but something told him that if the Irken found out that he had been talking to someone who tried to destroy him…well let's just say the boy didn't imagine that playing out so well.

Joseph narrowed his eyes at the boy in front of him suspiciously and Josh could actually see the wheels turning in the older twin's mind as he thought it over. Finally he pushed him away and said "Whatever; just get out of my sight!"

Josh practically crawled away not even trying to mask his obvious fear! He got to the stairs and stumble up them in a clumsy mess in hopes of getting to his room as fast as possible. Once there he closes his door quickly and dives into his bed were he imminently hides under the covers.

Meanwhile Joseph stands where he left him as still as a statue, he blinked once, and then twice while taking several deep breaths. _'What the hell did you just do?!'_ his mind was screaming. _'You almost strangled him, you could have killed him! Did you not swear to protect him with your life_? _What would Gaz say if she saw the behavior you just displayed?! She wouldn't be able to stand the sight of you!'_ Joseph fell to his knees as the guilt washed over him like waves.

' _What has gotten into me? That's the second time I've almost completely lost it!'_ Joseph looked up towards the stairs. He suddenly had the urge to apologies he forced himself to his feet and rushed up the stairs to his brother's room.

Josh freezes as his door slowly creeps open; he peaks through his blankets fearfully.

"Please I'm sorry" Joseph whispers his eyes now dark hazel can't even bring themselves to look at him. "I have no idea what came over me please forgive me."

Josh sighs in a momentary since of relief "It's fine Zim I understand you were worried that my call might have jeopardized the mission. And it's late; you're sleepy, of course you're going to snap." But even as Josh's words sounded perfectly logical in the back of his mind the boy was fearful that this outburst was the cause of something more sinister.

' _This is the second time he's lost control like this'_ Josh reminded himself _. 'And what's up with those red glowing eyes?'_

"So are we good?" Joseph asked pulling his brother away from his thoughts.

"Uh yeah we're great" Josh said with a reassuring smile.

Joseph smiled too, "Well I guess we better get to bed" he yawned and turned to go.

"Yeah" Josh agreed still a little shakenly despite his best efforts.

Joseph stopped and turned back around suddenly "Who were you about to call any ways?" he asked casually as if the entire ordeal down stairs had never occurred.

"What?" Josh asked dumbly.

"The call you told me you never made it cause of the police. So who were you going to call?"

"Oh uh Rachel" Josh lied dumbly still fearing that the truth could spike another weird tempered episode. "You know to ask if the heat had died down enough to start passing out the food; but I guess the inspection answered that for me" he laughed uneasily, but Joseph didn't seemed to notice.

Instead he laughed as well "Yeah well hopefully the food doesn't rot before we get to pass it out cause that would really tick off Mark!" Joseph chuckled at the thought.

"Yeah tell me about it" Josh agreed. "Well good night bro" he said as he turned towards the wall away from the door.

"Goodnight and sweet dreams" Joseph says and closes the door behind him.

Josh turns back towards the door with his usually inquisitive look plastered on his sleep deprived face. _'I need to find out what's going on with him before it becomes a problem'_ he pulled out a note book and pen from under his pillow and began to write down some notes.

 _ **Subject:**_ _Zim_

 _ **Cause of investigation:**_ _Strange and somewhat bizarre behavior._

 _ **Behaviors includes:**_ _increased hunger, constant complaining of a headache and violent mood swings._

 _ **Commit:**_ _Subject Zim's behavior has spiked into an unexplainable fit of rage for the second time in the span of one week. The first was with Mark an encounter that nearly caused the boy to be strangled to death. My encounter was less violent, but I can't help but think that is because Zim simply hates me less than Mark, and as his hunger intensifies so does his temper! And I can't help but fear that this only the beginning of something terrible…_

Josh stopped midsentence and rubbed his temples yawning as a strong wave of fatigue washed over him. He really wanted to continue his notes but he also knew that he really needed to get some sleep. He tucked his notebook and pen back under his pillow _'There'll be plenty of time to investigate Zim's weird behaviors tomorrow'_ he thought as he allowed himself to surrender to some much needed sleep.

Completely and utterly unaware of the fact that his thoughts would prove to be right…

In more ways than one!

* * *

 **Episode 3: Suspicious Minds (Part 1) END!**


	3. Part 2

**Disclaimers:** I do not own Invader Zim

 **Author's Notes:** Sorry for the slow update guys. As always I thank you for reading; and ask that you please enjoy this next part. And if you do please leave a review.

* * *

 **Episode 3: Suspicious Minds (Part 2)**

If third period was their battle field, then first period was their one and only moment to create some sort of strategy…

Joseph Campbell took a deep ragged breath before chancing a sideways glace at the enemy; Cadet Scamooch gave him a wicked grin that was just begging to get punched right off his features.

Joseph shook his head and tried to focus on the task at hand...

But it wasn't easy.

Mrs. Bean was perhaps the strictest and moodiest Irken female Joseph had ever met, and that was saying something, considering the fact that he had been alive for almost one hundred and seventy years! To say that the female was short was an understatement; the Irken was so short that if she had been any shorter, then she would have broken his record of being the shortest Irken in History! But her height wasn't what set her apart; no. What set Mrs. Bean apart from the other members of the Irken staff were her eyes... They were both different colors, one pink and one blue. It was a rare birth defect that was mostly only seen in humans and Earthly animals; in fact, it was so rare that Joseph had never seen it in his own race. Before now, that is.

"Now class, today we will be discussing the various Galaxies of the Irken Empire," Mrs. Bean was saying in her usual annoyingly high-pitched voice as a Computer Brain passed out some worksheets. "You are to identify each galaxy and write a brief summary about each. You will not get the luxury of using your book or your notes, so I hope for your sakes you all studied!"

Joseph rubbed his temples absently as his ever-growing migraine threatened to flare up to an even more painful level than ever before. _'What the hell is wrong with me?!'_ He forced himself to stay calm and focus on his work. There were 150 pictures of several different galaxies on one side of his worksheet alone, and he could only imagine that there would be an equal amount on the back side. ' _Stupid teacher! A superior should not be ordered around by someone as short as she!'_

Joseph forced the thought away and started his work, naming the Galaxies one-by-one with obvious ease. _'This is child's play! A new-born Smeet could answer these!'_ Joseph couldn't help but roll his eyes. _'This is useless to me,'_ he suppressed a groan as he suddenly had the urge to challenge himself, but sadly there was nothing challenging about the task before him. He chanced another glance at the enemy and his blood began to boil as he noticed the cadet was already working on the back set of questions on their worksheet.

' _No way I'm about to let some cadet out-due me!'_ He screamed to himself as he picked up his pace.

Cadet Scamooch smiled as he realized Joseph had picked up his pace _'Well it would appear our battle is starting early today,'_ the cadet chuckled and increased his own pace.

Joseph made a low hissing sound as the laughter of the enemy caused his blood to boil over. _'I will not allow some half-pint to out-due me!'_ He thought more forcefully this time as he continued working, not realizing that Cadet Scamooch was not the only one in the room to notice his behavior.

Mark's eyes narrowed on him suspiciously.

To say that the Irken was acting strange was defiantly an understatement. Ever since Zim had attacked him last week, the boy had been watching him like a hawk, waiting for the perfect evidence to prove to the others that the Irken was more of a hazard then an aid to their mission, even though the fact should have already been obvious! The boy's eyes suddenly widened as he realized what was going on.

' _Wait, is he challenging Scamooch?!'_ Mark asked himself in surprise. _'Is he trying to get himself arrested?!'_ Mark wanted to scream at him. _'And he's supposed to be a superior being; what an idiot!'_ The boy forced himself to focus on his own work, making a mental note to bring this up with Dib. Surely as a former enemy like Dib would know for sure if the scum was falling back to his old habits… right? _'I sure hope so,'_ he told himself and groaned as the bell sounded off over the intercom.

Cadet Scamooch couldn't help but snicker as he and the Joseph-human put down their pencils at the same time, both finishing a millisecond before the bell sounded off. _'Well someone's defiantly testy today,'_ he thought to himself. _'Only a fool wouldn't take advantage of this opportunity…'_

Joseph stood up to turn in his work, only to see red as a certain cadet pushed past him, causing the boy to fall hard on his butt.

"Watch where you're going, worm!" Cadet Scamooch snapped as he continued on his way to the front desk to turn in his work.

Mark saw the moment coming before it even happened; Joseph was more than ready to pounce at the obvious display of abuse and Mark was more than willing to let him; or at least he should have been. But as he watched the moment slowly take form, he found himself consumed with the unmistakable urge to intervene. And before he could even process what he was doing, Mark found himself grabbing his and Joseph's books and pulling the boy out of the class by the collar of his shirt.

Joseph's look of rage twisted in to one of pure shock as Mark threw him up against the closest locker. "Mark! Have you completely lost it?!" Joseph hissed as the boy backed off, giving him some obviously much-needed space.

"Me?" Mark asked as he continued to back away. "You almost snapped at a Cadet, and one that, mind you, wants to enslave you as his eternal minion!"

Cadet Scamooch snickered as he gathered his books and walked to the doorway to watch the show, obviously shocked that the Joseph human had almost pounced, and even more surprised that Mark had come in to save the day. _'Since when did you care?'_ The Cadet wondered to himself. He certainly hadn't noticed any sort of friendship between them before…

It was true. Mark didn't care but no matter how much he hated the guy, he couldn't stand to sit by and let the Irken fall for such an obvious ploy. No as twisted as it might have felt Mark knew that Joseph would have done the same for him whether he'd admit it to himself or not was another story all together.

"I don't need your help!" Joseph snapped, once more looking ready to pounce "I had everything under control!"

Mark was tempted to say _'sure you did,'_ but something told him that his best bet was to let the ill-tempered Irken win this one. So instead, he swallowed his pride and said: "You're right. I'm sorry for making you look weak."

Joseph froze mid-pounce, looking somewhat surprised by Mark's words. He shook his head. "You know, you're acting really weird today," he said before walking by, as if nothing had happened.

Mark couldn't help the look of horror that slipped onto his face. _'I'm acting weird?! HE nearly jumped a Cadet, and I'm the one acting weird?! What's gone so wrong with him?!'_ He shook his head and decided that he couldn't afford to wait; he had to talk to Josh about this, now!

Cadet Scamooch's eyes narrowed as he watched Mark hurry off into the opposite direction as Joseph. _'The Worm nearly jump me!'_ The Cadet chuckled, despite it all, wondering what on Earth could have cause the boy to nearly make such an obvious mistake...

* * *

"Dude, we need to talk, now!"

Josh couldn't help but yelp in surprise as Mark pulled him into the nearest bathroom.

"Um, Mark, can't this wait? We're going to be late for second period and I can't afford another tardy this week," he protested as Mark checked the stalls for any possible eavesdroppers.

"It's about Zim," Mark whispered.

Josh's eyes widen at his words and a since of dread filled his soul. "What is it? What happened?"

"He nearly pounce Cadet Scamooch," Mark whispered.

"He WHAT?!" Josh was dumbfounded. "Are you sure he was going to?"

"I had to pull him out of the classroom to stop him, so yeah, I'm sure! And that's not all," Mark said.

"What do you mean?" Josh couldn't help but feel as if his legs had turned to jello. Usually Zim stopped them from attacking the Cadets, not the other way around, and now Mark was telling him there was more to it!

"In the beginning, it was almost as if he was challenging Cadet Scamooch to a race to see who could finish today's lesson the fastest," Mark answered darkly. "Something about the look on his face… he wasn't just angry and wanting to beat him. He looked _repulsed_ by it all, and frankly, he looked real, real scary. Like he wanted to kill, just because Cadet Scamooch even _tried_ to win against him…"

Josh couldn't help but shiver. First the headaches, then the ill temper, and now this? He pulled out his notebook and added the new information to his notes.

"Wait, you're writing this down? Why?" Mark asked somewhat confused.

"Look, I'm asking you to keep this to yourself, okay?" Josh begged. "Please, Mark; as a friend. Do this for me."

"Fine," Mark sighed, "but only if you tell me why you're taking notes."

Josh groaned, but nodded. "Fine. I'm taking notes because this is not normal behavior for Zim, ad there's more than just a couple things wrong with him, it seems," he admitted fearfully. "Something's up, and I need to take notes so I can narrow down my search. At least, for when I finally get the chance to do some research on the matter..."

Mark nodded; the answer seemed truthful enough, but it was also alarming. "So you're telling me that he has never acted like this before, and he's had more problems than just this pride and his anger?"

"Yeah," Josh answered fearfully. "I mean, he's lost his temper before, but never like this, and he's also been having bad headaches, which I don't think you knew about. He's eating enough food daily to feed an elephant, and now this strange pride thing where he's never had problems bowing for his own benefit, especially to superiors…"

"So what do we do about it?" Mark asked the obvious.

"Let me handle it, okay?" Josh pleaded.

"And what if Cadet Scamooch tries to take advantage of all of, whatever _this_ has been?" Mark asked.

It was a fare question, and admittedly, one that Josh hadn't thought of.

"If you see him drowning, help him out, okay? But other than that, leave him alone and don't tell anyone until I figure this out. Okay?"

Mark let out a deep sigh, but nodded his agreement none-the-less. "Fine, but I won't be able to keep this a secret for long. There's something wrong with him, and if I can see it then so can other, I guarantee you!"

Josh knew his friend was right; anyone would be able to see that something was up. _'I have to find out what's going on quickly, before this gets even more out of hand!'_ He thought as he watched Mark leave, not knowing that the situation was only going to get far worse from here…

* * *

"Crap!" Kathy whispered under her breath as the tardy bell sounded. She was late for second period; again! At this rate she was bound to become Mrs. Richerson's most hated student for sure! Not that she could blame her; after all, she had been attending Westville High for a week now, and Kathy still couldn't find the sense to make it to her classes on time! Kathy shook her head and screamed as she collided with the worse person possible!

"Watch it, worm!" Cadet Scamooch hissed as he fell flat on his rear. "I swear, do any of you humans watch where you're going?!" He got to his feet with a loud humph, his behavior almost mirroring that of a five-year-old.

Kathy couldn't help but laugh silently at the thought, thinking that, for an evil alien, the Cadet was actually kind of cute…

' _Wait, what?! Did I just think an Irken was cute?'_ Kathy blushed as she sat there, frozen to the spot. Surely she hadn't meant that! She only meant he acted like a kid, and that was all! …Right…?

Cadet Scamooch looked down at her, ready to scowl, when her obvious hue caught his attention. "Why are you all red?" He asked, obviously clueless.

Of course, his question only made her turn a darker shade of red. Kathy jumped to her feet and picked up her things before bolting down the hall and out of sight.

Cadet Scamooch blinked once, then twice, obviously confused. "Stupid human!" He snapped before continuing on his way.

Kathy rushed into Mrs. Richerson's class and buried her red checks in her hands as she tried to focus on the bell ringer. Thankfully, no one gave her a second glance, and Mrs. Richerson wasn't present to scowl at her for being late. _'I can't believe I thought that!_ ' Kathy could have clawed her own eyes out! _'An Irken; cute?! And Cadet Scamooch, no less… I must have eaten a bad breakfast!'_ Kathy told herself. _'Yeah, that's it… After all, it's not like I actually have a thing for the guy… No, totally not…'_

She silently battled with herself in her seat, furiously trying to settle her resolve…

' _Their kind are evil, and none of them could ever change!'_

' _Except that, Zim has…'_

' _You don't know that!'_ She told herself knowingly. _'For all you know, Zim could be helping us for his own selfish reasons!'_

Kathy wasn't so sure, and she still wasn't sure an hour later…

If one of them could change, wasn't it only fair to believe that they all could? Deep down she'd like to believe that even the most evil beings had some hidden good nature about them, but she also knew that this was childish thinking, and childish thinking was something a person in her position could not afford.

No, it was best to keep her emotions out of the equation altogether. Unfortunately, Kathy was about to discover that said task was easier said than done…

* * *

"My Tallest, we have finished inspecting all of the Human residents in the city," an Irken officer addressed his leaders fearfully. "And we have found none of the food or any clues to who the members of the Resistance could be." The officer gulped, fearing his own demise.

"You're telling us you found nothing?!" Tallest Red screeched in obvious annoyance.

"You must have missed something!" Tallest Purple spoke of the obvious.

"My Tallest, perhaps we are going about this the wrong way," a soldier to their left spoke up sheepishly.

"Oh, and you have a better idea?" Tallest Red challenged, his eyes glowing dangerously red…

The soldier gulped, knowing all too well that it was best to keep his mouth shut, but he knew he was right, so with a shaky breath, he continued: "What I mean is, maybe we should interrogation the students...?"

"If we did that then the rumors of the resistance would be confirmed!" Tallest Purple growled.

"But my Tallest, perhaps a public announcement, followed by a public execution, is exactly what we need to kill the fire for liberation once and for all," the Irken officer suggested, backing the soldier up.

"You know, they might be on to something," Tallest Red said out loud as he appeared to be giving the idea some real, deep thought. "An interrogation, yes, that's what we'll do! We'll grab random students and have the school question them! After all, they're just children. Surely they'd break under the pressure!"

"And if it doesn't work?" Tallest Purple asked the obvious question.

"Then these two will wish they had kept their mouths shit!" Tallest Red growled as he eyed the officer and the soldier knowingly.

The two looked at each other fearfully, both thinking the same thing: _'This idea had better work…'_

* * *

Joseph flinched as he allowed himself to get hit squared in the face, and bit his tongue as the blow sent his already pounding head into a whole new level of pain that he never knew existed. If he could go back in time and change one thing about human history, then it would be the creation of the horribly sport known as _dodgeball_!

' _Ha! Why waste your time on a stupid sport,'_ he scowled furiously to himself, _'when the better plan would be to go back in time and make sure a certain Cadet was never born?!'_ Joseph rubbed his temples in deep frustration as a chorus of laughter exploded around him.

"Ha! We win again!" Cadet Scamooch jeered as he watched Joseph rub his face in obvious pain. It was easy to see the human was frustrated and getting even more so by the minute. _'If I can just push him a little further, then maybe I'll finally win this fight!'_ It was an encouraging thought, to say the least, but how to give the child the necessary push without being too obvious was the real challenge...

The answer came to him in the form of a very angry and terribly dressed human known as Brain Rhodes. The kid was what humans called a geek, or a nerd… not that the Cadet cared about the human labeling system. In fact, if Cadet Scamooch was honest with himself, he would admit that he couldn't even begin to understand the difference in one human social group when compared to another. To him they were all stupid and insolate and nothing compared to his own superiority!

The human known as Brain Rhodes must have been feeling a rare sense of bravery because usually the kid was quiet and easy to push around. However, today it was obvious that there was something different about him. He stood tall and pointed a finger at him, as if he had some kind of authority over the Cadet. "The only reason why you guys always win is because we're not allowed to hit you!" Brain snapped, obviously fed up with the whole situation.

"Yeah, this isn't even real dodgeball!" Diana said, backing him up. "If this were a real game then you wouldn't stand a chance! Right Joey?!" She asked Joseph hopefully.

Cadet Scamooch smiled and watched as the perfect moment of opportunity formed right before his eyes.

Joseph froze as every one of his classmates, human and Irken alike, looked at him. as if awaiting his response. No doubt they expected him to encourage his fellow humans to back off, and any other day he would… but Joseph wasn't exactly in his right mind at the moment, and it showed. He should have seen the danger lurking around him like a pack of wolves waiting to strike, but instead all Joseph could see was the evil smirk that was plastered on the enemy's face. He had the unmistakable urge to wipe that smirk right off the cadet's ugly snout! Just once he'd like to see a look of shock or jealousy or perhaps even fear where that smirk would usually be…!

And in the mist of his exploding headache and ill temper, Joseph took the bait. "Please, these Irkens wouldn't even know how to handle a real game of dodgeball…"

Cadet Scamooch's smile got impossibly wider. "That almost sounds like a challenge, Campbell," he said, his words dripping with venom.

"A challenge?" Joseph snapped. "Please! We'd win the game in five minutes flat!"

"Yeah!" Diana and Brian agreed in unison.

"Uh, guys, maybe this isn't a good idea," Elisabeth whispered. "We could get in a lot of trouble," she warned.

Joseph suppressed a groan. Deep down he knew she was right; this was getting out of hand, and they needed to back down before they accidentally went too far.

Unfortunately, Cadet Scamooch could easily see Joseph backing down, plain as day. "Oh come on! You're not scared of a little competition, are you?" He asked with a sneer.

Joseph imminently saw red/ _'Fear is weak and pointless!'_ Joseph's inner demons snapped at the obvious insult. _'Are you just going to sit there and let some insolent half-pint call you weak?!'_

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Joseph hissed as he picked up a ball. "If it's a real game you want, then it's a real game you're gonna get!"

Cadet Scamooch chuckled. "Well then bring it!" He jeered.

"Dodgeball! Dodgeball! Dodgeball!" The Irken cadets began to chant around them as four other cadets joined Scamooch on his side of the court.

"Guys, this is a really bad idea!" Elizabeth warned once more as Jake, Brain, Diana, and Joseph took their places on their side of the court.

"Stop worrying so much," Brain told her with a nervous smile. "It's just a friendly game of dodgeball, right Joey?"

"Yeah," Joseph agreed as he paced up and down their side of the court, eying the enemy knowingly. "Just a friendly game, right Sir?" He asked as he allowed a sly grin to find its way onto his face; an old sense of Irken pride coursed threw him. For almost a year he had been forced to pretend to be a lowly and worthless human, where his fellow Irkens treated him like a filthy worm… but now this challenge, as insignificant as it may seem, had brought him back to an equal playing field. He was no longer a lowly worm standing in the shadow of a superior Irken. No, in this rare moment, he was a challenger; an equal… and despite his better judgment, said moment was causing him to feel more like his old self.

"Yes, just a friendly game of real dodgeball," Cadet Scamooch agreed, obviously intrigued by the boy's sudden change in behavior. It was in that moment that the Cadet realized that perhaps it wasn't fair to say that all humans were the same. After all, Joseph was making it pretty clear that humans were an edgy and quit unpredictable race. _'Perhaps some humans are more worthy of respect then others…'_

The thought should have had him sick to his stomach, but instead the Cadet found himself looking at the boy with a since of admiration. To openly accept a challenge from an Irken of his stature while fully aware of the risk was not an easy obstacle, yet this human hurled over it with ease!

Joseph's eyes narrowed at his enemy's words. Of course he knew this was a trap; a new born Smeet could have seen that obvious logic from miles away! But even with that knowledge, he still couldn't find the strength to swallow his pride. Since the first day of school, Cadet Scamooch had made his life a living hell, and despite his better judgment, Joseph truly felt that it was about time he started fighting back! He reared his arm back, readying himself to throw the ball as hard as he could when a voice of reason stopped him dead in his tracks. _'This is a bad idea and you know it!'_

' _The over-grown Smeet deserves to be taught a lesson!'_ His pride screamed, challenging his voice of reason with ease.

' _The moment you throw that ball is the moment your might as well kiss your freedom good bye! He'll let you hit him on purpose, and then the coach will have you in chains in a matter of seconds, and you'll have to become a minion in order to prevent yourself from being imprisoned and found out!'_ Joseph's eyes narrowed, his arm was shaking now as the eternal battle raged on inside of him.

"Well come on, Joey! What are you waiting for?" Cadet Scamooch jeered as his fellow Cadets laughed at his internal struggles.

' _How dare they mock their superior?!'_ Joseph growled, his anger boiling over once more. _'What kind of Amon allows those beneath him to push him around like common trash?'_ The thought caused Joseph to stop dead in his tracks.

He had done it again!

For the second time that day he had referred to himself as an Amon, something he hadn't done in over a century! _'Something is wrong with me!'_ He thought, as if the fact wasn't already obvious. He knew all too well that something was wrong, but like a big idiot, he wanted to pretend he was fine and ignore the whole thing, which was perhaps the stupidest idea he had ever had! After all, he had already nearly killed two of his own allies, and had nearly gone for a third victim not even an hour earlier...

' _I need to leave before he entices me again.'_

"What's the matter, Worm?" Cadet Scamooch continued to taunt him. "Did you suddenly forget how to throw?"

The Cadets around them erupted in another chorus of laughter, but this time Joseph's pride refused to fall under their evil spell. "You're not worth it," he said.

Cadet Scamooch smiled as he watched the human scum drop his ball and walked away, leaving the court and escaping to the safety of the boy's locker room. _'Of course you've come to your senses. I should have known you would.'_ He snickered as the other humans on Joseph's team backed down as well, many of them showing a look of obvious relief.

"Well, so much for a real game of dodgeball," Cadet Meep teased, earning a few jeers of agreement from her fellow cadets.

Cadet Scamooch couldn't agree more. _'And to think, for a second there I actually thought highly of him!'_ He shook his head, knowing that he should have known better. They all knew that humans were all bark and no bite, and yet, for the slightest moment, he thought Joseph would be different. _'I should have known better,'_ he thought as the bell sounded around him, signaling the end of third period as well as the start of first lunch.

Joseph leant over one of the sinks in the locker room, taking several deep breaths as he held onto the sink for support. "Get a hold of yourself!" He hissed, giving himself a stern look in the mirror. "You cannot afford to mess this one up!" He warned himself as he reached into his pocket and grasped the skull necklace that was hidden there. "There's too much at risk," he reminded himself to strengthen his resolve. _'She needs you to be strong, so man up and bear whatever this is a little while longer...!'_

Joseph took another ragged breath before he forced himself to move, walking out of the locker room and towards the cafeteria for a much-needed meal, hoping that whatever was happening to his body had finally reached its limits.

But unfortunately for him, Joseph would soon learn that the madness had only just begun…

 **Episode 3: Suspicious Minds (Part 2) END!**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** **So thank you for reading, and please Review! Part 3 will be up soon.**

 **Yours Truly, RoxieDivine :)**


	4. Part 3

**Episode 3: Suspicious Minds (Part 3)**

Gaz screamed at the top of her lungs, but no matter what she did, no matter how loud she was, no one paid her any mind!

If she had to spend one more hour behind these bars then Gaz swore she would go insane! She fought the urge to hit her head against the bars and closed her eyes, forcing herself to think of anything besides the feeling of the bars closing in around her. If she was at home facing a long sentencing of groundation, then she would have spent her time playing her Game Slave 3 that she had gotten from Zim.

 _'Zim.'_ Gaz smiled at the thought, but her smile soon turned into a thin line as a look of worry clouded her face. It was times like this that she wished she had something to keep her busy, whether it be a book, or something of equal quality that could help her keep her thoughts from wondering into the dangerous waters of the unknown.

Of course, sadly, she had nothing…

Gaz sighed loudly and then screamed again, but she knew it was useless. The only being she ever saw was Ruby, a small ruby-eyed Irken female that delivered her meals. Of course the Irken's real name wasn't Ruby; Gaz just called her that because of the color of her eyes. Ruby would come in every day at three different times to deliver her meals: 7AM for breakfast, 12PM for lunch, and finally dinner was served at 8PM. Ruby never spoke a word, though Gaz did try several times to strike up a conversation, asking question like:

 _"What day is it?"_

 _"Have they found my brother yet?"_

And _"Can I at least have something to do in this accursed cell?!"_

Unfortunately, Ruby didn't care to give her a response to any of these questions, and after a while Gaz stopped trying. The funny thing was, Gaz normally wasn't a social person. In fact, before the Great War, she spent most of her time with her nose in her game. It wasn't until she no longer had the luxury of other's company that she realized how much she needed it.

She cursed again, out loud this time, swearing that the moment she saw her brother she'd kill him for taking so long. _'Right after I murder Zim for giving me the false impression that he'd have me out with in the first hour!'_ She shook her head and decided to kill some time by playing back her dream of being rescued. It was a dream that she had several nights a week, and if she was really honest with herself, she'd admit that the dream was rather cheesy, to say the least.

In the dream she's sitting in her cage, her long lavender hair is blowing in the wind, which shouldn't be able to be produced in the dry airless room. Suddenly the door explodes into a million pieces and Zim comes in on a white horse dressed in armor. He pulls out his sword and cuts the chains that surround her cage like a demented Christmas bow. He then picks her up in his arms bridal style and says "I have come to save you my love pig!"

She would then smile and say "Well it's about time!" Then they would jump back on his horse and ride off into the sunset…

Only for her to wake up and realize the sad truth. That it was nothing more than a dream; a very cheesy and painful dream.

Gaz forced the tears not to pool in her eyes as she curled up on the floor of her cell, thinking that she might as well take a nap. After all, it would appear the only thing she had to efficiently pass the time was sleep.

 _'You better hurry up Zim,'_ she thought bitter. It was the last thought she had before she slowly eased into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

To be called to the Principal's Office was never a blessing…

But to be called to the Vice Principal's Office, well… that was a death sentence!

"Would Keef Larson, Gretchen Homes, Megan Downing, Melissa Goldsmith and Mary Rogers please report to the Vice Principal's Office? I repeat: Would Keef Larson, Gretchen Homes, Megan Downing, Melissa Goldsmith and Mary Rogers please report to the Vice Principal's Office? Thank you."

Mary froze, despite her best efforts. _'Why me?'_ She asked herself as her heart leaped into her throat. She couldn't remember doing anything illegal, and since the Vice Principal handled most of the disciplinary affairs she would have to guess whatever this was about couldn't be good.

"Miss Rogers, do you have bees for brains?" Mary's teacher, Mr. Sag, asked rudely. "You were just called to the Vice Principal's Office!"

Mary resisted the urge to punch the Irken scum square in the nose and gathered up her things before walking out of the room and towards the Vice Principal's Office. She stopped at the door where the other students stood in line by the Vice Principal's Office. "Keef?" She asked as she spotted the red-headed boy in front of her.

"Mary?" Keef turned to her with a confused look on his face. "What did you do?"

"That's just it, I didn't do anything! Of course, convincing Jamie of that will be nearly impossible…"

"NO TALKING!"

Mary stopped mid-sentence as the Vice Principal, Mr. Gijon, snapped harshly as the door to his office opened.

"Each and every one of you is to be questioned and you will not be discussing your alibies out here!" Mr. Gijon continued harshly as his ruby eyes narrowed at them venomously.

 _'Alibies!'_ Now Mary was defiantly worried. _'Why would we need to come up with alibies?'_ She watched as the first student in line followed the Vice Principal into his office and flinched as the door was slammed behind them.

Keef gulped as he realized a little too late what was going on; after all, there was only one thing he would need an alibi for. He pressed his panic button on his communicator and gulped as the silent alarm began to ring, warning the others of the one thing they had always feared.

 _'They know!'_

* * *

Josh's eyes widened as he checked his watch; the flashing alarm that met his gaze caused his blood to run cold.

 **Code: BLACK**

The moment they had all feared was finally upon them, but were they ready? Could the new recruits handle the pressure of a possible interrogation? What if one of them caved and told the Vice Principal about the food?!

 _'The Food! We need to move it and get rid of the caboose just in case!'_ Josh realized, then looked around and groaned. He was stuck in the middle of his seventh period with no chance of getting away. _'But someone has to get rid of the evidence!'_ The answer came to him in an instant…

 _'Zim; he has free period right now, he could go!'_ Josh sent an urgent text to his brother to clean up the mess ASAP, hoping and praying to whoever was listening that his old foe had an ace up his sleeve.

* * *

Free period…

Most students would use this time to hide out behind the school, wasting their time by playing on their game devises while trading rations with anyone else that might be around. Then again, Joseph was not most people. Instead of wasting his time in an alley behind the school, he decided doing homework in the library was more suitable. At the moment he was studying for his unit 5 Exam on Thursday for his Irken Mechanics class with Mrs. Dizon, an exam that could very well shape his future.

He snickered at the thought, knowing all too well that in the real scale of things, this test had nothing to do with his future. _'It does if it takes more than a decade to defeat the Tallest,'_ he told himself as he took a deep breath in a desperate attempt to keep his pride and temper in check… It wasn't the easiest task ever, but he managed.

' _I have to accept that that is very likely; heck, we'll be lucky if we defeat them at all!'_ He sighed as a wave of depression settled in his chest. ' _Great, first I'm prideful and now I'm depressed. What the hell is wrong with me?!'_ He shook his head and tried to focus on the task at hand, but he couldn't help but fell as if his body had completely turned against him.

Joseph groaned and stiffened as his communicator beeped silently. He looked down at it curiously.

 **Code: BLACK**

 **Get rid of the evidence!**

 **~ D**

His eyes widened and he got up from his table at once, leaving the library and heading to the bathroom where he'd make a hasty escape through the window. Seventh block ended in 45 minutes, and once it was over he'd have to go report in at his evening job right away. He'd be cutting it pretty close, but he knew he had no choice but to try. He reached the bathroom and checked all the stalls for any ease droppers before reaching to open the window. He stooped as he realized it would be far too risky to walk to the secret tunnel. _'I'll have to risk teleporting,'_ he told himself as a sharp flash of pain ran down his spine. He ignored it and activated the communicator's teleportation controls as he grit his teeth in obvious pain. _'Perhaps I should consult with the computer about my condition while I am there,'_ he told himself as he disappeared and rematerialized at the cliff opening of the secret tunnel.

Zim immediately took off his disguise and looked around. The caboose appeared to be untouched, which was a comforting sight. "Gir, ready the Voot Cruiser and bring it to the cliff opening at once!" He shouted into his communicator.

"Yes, my Lord!" Gir's voice answered at once.

"And wake up the computer while you're at it," he hissed as another wave of pain shot down his spine. 'We've got some work to do…"

* * *

"Next!"

Keef stiffened as he realized with a heavy heart that it was his turn to face the enemy. He took a deep, ragged breath and stepped into Mr. Gijon's office, slowly closing the door behind him. His heart was racing and beating so loudly that he could swear it would burst right out of his chest at any moment.

"Sit down Mr. Larson," Mr. Gijon snapped.

Keef obeyed and shivered, despite the obvious heat in the room.

"Mr. Larson, do you know why you are here?" Mr. Gijon asked.

' _Yes,'_ Keef thought with a gulp. "No sir, I haven't the slightest idea," he spoke shakily.

"Well let me tell you," Mr. Gijon whispered harshly. "For the span of six months or so, a rag-tag team of criminals has been plotting against our leaders. You wouldn't know anything about that now, would you?"

"Uh, no, I can't say that I do," Keef said with a nervous laugh.

"Then you won't mind explaining your long trip to the bathroom last Wednesday?" Mr. Gijon asked suspiciously as a spy drone appeared beside him, projecting an image of Keef walking into his home bathroom last Wednesday.

 _'The day I snuck out to join the resistance!'_ Keef cleared his throat nervously and said "I had a really bad stomach virus that night, okay?" He tried to appear outraged by the obvious accusation. "I threw up a bit and then passed out on the floor; I woke up a little while later and went back to my room."

"A reasonable answer," Mr. Gijon spoke as if he were thinking out loud. "So you were sick?" He asked.

"I guess so. Either that or I had a bad dinner that didn't agree with my stomach," Keef answered.

Mr. Gijon nodded at this. "And this group of trouble-makers; you haven't seen anything that could raise suspicion?"

"Uh, no sir," Keef answered nervously.

"Oh, because I have," Mr. Gijon said with an evil smirk as the spy drone showed a new image.

Keef froze as the spy drone showed an image of him and the rest of the members of the resistance sitting around the great oak during lunch last week.

"Do you want to tell me what you and your friends were whispering about during that lunch hour?" Mr. Gijon asked sinisterly.

Keef was finding it hard to breathe, but he forced himself to answer. "We talked about classes and gossiped about the things we can't stand about school," he lied. "We whisper so no one will be offended by what we say."

It was a reasonable answer, but it was also vague…

 _'Too vague,'_ Mr. Gijon realized with another smirk. "And what offensive things do you say?" He asked.

"L-lots of things," Keef said with a gulp, knowing that he was about to be ensnared into a trap.

"Like what?" Mr. Gijon urged.

"Um, we make fun of the food sometimes," Keef said, which wasn't a lie. "Yeah, some of us say it's different on certain days." He was careful not to give any names, knowing all too well that they'd be called up to the office to be questioned too. And as much as Keef wished he had some help, the last thing he wanted was to send one of his fellow Renegades to drown in a watery grave. "We also made fun of people who did stupid things, who we could see through the lunchroom windows," he continued.

"Any of those happen to be Irkens?" Mr. Gijon asked.

' _Yes,'_ Keef thought with another gulp, but said: "Of course not. After all, we know Irkens don't do anything stupid."

 _'He's a clever one,'_ Mr. Gijon thought as he noticed how easily worded the boy's answers to his questions were, but whether or not the boy was guilty still remained to be seen. After all, everything he said could be true, the group of students around the tree could have been making fun of some cadets, which would cause the boy to want to lie and say they weren't. And he could have very well been sick from a poorly cooked meal last week. It was possible that this boy was innocent. Plus, who wouldn't be nervous during an interrogation?

But as reasonable as it was, there was still room for doubt, which meant that he could be a possible member of the Resistance. Mr. Gijon smiled and wrote a check mark by Keef's name on the possible suspect list in front of him.

A list that, mind you, was about ten feet long and had every student's name on it…

"Very well, you may go, Mr. Larson."

Keef eyed the list knowingly and fought the urge to snatch it up and run. "Yes sir, thank you sir," he said, remembering to bow respectively before rushing out.

"Next!"

Mary's eyes met with Keef's for a brief moment, but it was long enough to warn her; and the warning was loud and clear…

The Renegades were in DEEP TROUBLE!

* * *

"Ah, finally!" Zim breathed a sigh of relief as he placed the lost box of food into the Dome's vast storage room. _'I don't see why I have to do this!'_ His pride screamed _. 'Is it just me, or does it seem like I'm doing all the hard labor around here?'_ Zim shook his head violently in the hopes of shaking off the dangerous thoughts.

It didn't work… not by a long shot, but at least he could say he tried!

"Computer!" He demanded loudly.

"What?!" The Computer Brain asked in its usual annoyed voice.

"Initiate Code Black protocols and relocate the base to deeper waters."

"As you wish," the Computer answered in a booming voice that vibrated down Zim's antenna, causing him to hiss out loud in obvious pain.

"Master, is there something wrong?" Gir asked worryingly.

"I…I don't know, Gir," Zim answered honestly. "Computer, run a Bioscan on me at once!"

"As you wish," the Computer Brain repeated, but Zim could tell from its tone and Gir's nervous look that there was something that they weren't telling him.

None-the-less, the Computer Brain scanned his Master where he stood. Once completed he said "Bioscan complete; printing results now!"

If he had had a heart, then Gir swore it would be pounding its way out of his rusty metal chest. He watched it all in slow motion as his Master took the results from the machine and read over them, waiting for his reaction. Would it be one of shock or relief?

He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Zim stopped mid-page and his eyes widened.

 _'No… there has to be some mistake! This can't be happening!'_ His thoughts were screaming, but there was no denying the truth. Suddenly it all made sense; the hunger, the sudden mood swings, his steady increase in growth, and his sudden sense of authority and pride; it all made some horrible twisted since…

It was finally happening…

After almost 160 years, what the female computer brain had promised all those years ago was finally coming to pass. The change was finally happening…

There was just one problem…

He no longer wanted it!

"Master," Gir said slowly. "Please say something," the S.I.R unit begged softly.

"We understand this comes as a shock to you. You did, after all, give up on the possibility long ago," Computer tried to soothe him. "And no one can blame you for giving into your fears, but now that it is happening we finally can put the Tallest down and-"

"No," Zim said softly.

"What- I'm sorry, sir, what…?" The Computer Brain asked hoping, he was hearing things.

"I said NO!" Zim shouted.

"But Master, don't you see? Once the change is complete you'll final be on an even playing field as the Tallests! You can defeat them and win this war!" Computer explained the obvious.

"And then what?" Zim asked furiously. "Take my place as the Tallest?!"

"I don't see why not!" The Computer Brain answered as if it was no big deal.

But it was a big deal; it was a very big deal!

"No, I can't, I won't!" Zim shouted as he paced the room back and forth.

"You can't avoid this, Zim!" Computer shouted, as if he were lecturing a child. "You are an Amon and it is your duty to your people to save them from their rouge leaders! The Tallest have twisted the very meaning of being of being an Irken! They have morphed our race into a murderous group of savages! You must-!"

"NO!" Zim interjected. "I… I just can't, okay?!" Zim yelled at the top of his lungs.

" _Can't?!_ " The Computer Brain yelled even louder. "You _must!_ "

"Master, they need you!" Gir said, trying to help.

"Need me?" Zim asked sarcastically. "Yeah, I could totally tell when they were screaming for my death!"

"So that's it?" The Computer Brain asked. "You're bitter by the way they treated you?"

"No!" Zim shouted. "I'm not bitter! They've treated me like that all my life, so I mused to that well enough! In fact I deserve it!"

"Then why?"

"Because I don't want it!" Zim yelled.

"Does this have anything to do with your feelings for Gazline?" Computer asked curiously.

"NO! I just don't want it and I haven't for a very long time," Zim hissed, and it was true. He had long ago given up on this; this path, this destiny. A destiny that he had long ago believed would never happen.

But now it _had_ happened, and Zim wished only that it hadn't.

"Zim, whether you like it or not, this is happening," the Computer said calmly this time. "And according to the Bioscan's report, the final transformation will be upon you soon…"

"I don't care!" Zim screamed as he reached for something in one of his drawers.

"What are you doing?!" The Computer Brain shouted.

"I can't be a leader, I don't know the first thing about being a leader!" Zim shouted as he took a syringe full of a purple liquid out of the drawer. "Who's to say I'd even be a better leader then the current Tallests?!"

"Zim, please don't do this!" The Computer Brain begged. "If you reject the change or slow it down for too long, it will kill you!"

"What other choice do I have? I know nothing about ruling an Empire!" Zim shouted as he prepared to take the shot.

"You have plenty of options!" The Computer Brain urged.

"Like what?" Zim asked as he stopped, the needle just touching his skin.

"The Ancients; they could help you!"

The Ancients… they were the oldest and wisest of the Irken race, who had abandon the Empire, proclaiming that it had lost its way. Word had it the Ancient Irkens lived on a deserted asteroid, were they guarded and protected refugees who had nowhere else to go, each of them wanting the same thing; to escape the wrath of the Irken Empire.

"I don't belong in their presence," Zim said gravely as he stabbed the needle into his skin, injecting its contents without a second thought.

Denial…

Out of all the things he could have chosen, Zim had chosen the one they both had least expected.

"Master," Gir whispered, but Zim walked past him, storming out of the room without another word, his pain and other symptoms already subsiding.

"Please tell me that didn't just happen," The Computer Brain said in disbelief.

"It did," Gir answered, still not believing it himself.

"All is lost," Computer spoke gravely.

"No, no!" Gir answered as he scanned the discarded syringe with tears threatening to overspill from his cyan-colored eyes. "Whatever was in this syringe will only slow down the process, right?" Gir said as he finished his readings. "There's still hope; we can change his mind!"

"I'm not so sure, Gir… the Master has lost his way, and he has clearly proven that he has no intention of finding his way back."

"He doesn't have a choice," Gir said gravely. "The change is going to happen whether he likes it or not, but if Master keeps this up he'll die..." The tears finally spilled, streaking down Gir's already rusted metal cheeks…

"Or worse," the Computer Brain said darkly. "He'll go rouge, and we'll be forced to stop him permanently…"

"NO!" Gir shouted.

"If he doesn't figure this out soon… If he does go rouge…"

"I won't let him!" Gir vowed. "You'll help me save him, won't you?"

The Computer Brain sighed. "Of course, but you must realize that we can only do so much. Zim must meet us half-way."

"And if he doesn't?" Gir dared to ask.

"Then there'll be nothing we can do for him… There'll be nothing we can do for any of them…."

 **Episode 3: Suspicious Minds (Part 3) END!**


	5. Next on Invader Zim

**Author's Notes:** Oh boy I thought it wasn't possible, but it would appear that the Renegades are in way over their heads. Will the new recruits keep up the strength under the constant interrogations or will one of them cave? And what destiny has Zim just thrown away? And what consequences will it bring for the human race?

 **Tune in next time to find out!**

 **Shout-out(s):** I would love to give shout outs to my family who always put up with my crazy moods. Why do I have crazy moods? Because I tend to be in whatever mood my writing is in. So if I'm writing something depressing for example. I'm going to feel depressed. It's how I get into the characters of my story, and produce such great stuff. Of course said habit doesn't always make me easy to live with. So I thank them for that.

As always I thank you for reading and please review. The next episode…

 **Season 1- Episode 4: Double Life will be up April 2015**

 **Episode Summary:** Tensions continue to rise as the leaders of the resistance begin to train their new recruit while trying to dodge the ever growing efforts of the enemy. Meanwhile Zim is still struggling to come to terms with the change and the destiny that is entails. Can the Renegades pull through?

Or will the denial of one person spell out the end for us all?!

 **Disclaimers:** I Do Not Own Invader Zim

 **Yours Truly, RoxieDivine :)**


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